HM section commander among 8 terrorists, woman killed

22 April 2002The Daily ExcelsiorExcelsior Correspondent

Jammu: Eight terrorists and a woman were killed while a civilian was injured and the ultras set ablaze two houses in separate incidents in Jammu region over-night. In a major success, army and police eliminated five terrorists in a single operation in Dulligam village of Banihal tehsil of Doda district this afternoon. Security forces didn’t suffer any casualties in two hour long operation, official sources said. They said army and police carried out a joint search operation in the militancy-infested Dulligam village this afternoon after developing an information that a big group of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists were holding a ‘strategy session’ in a hideout. While the troops were encircling the hideout, they were fired upon by the terrorists. Army jawans retaliated. A fierce exchange of gun fighting continued for about two hours in which five hardcore terrorists including a ‘section commander’ of Hizbul Mujahideen were killed. Two to three terrorists managed to escape during the cross-firing and fled towards Dulligam forest area. Re-enforcement of army was rushed to Dulligam to carry out a search operation for the escaped terrorists. Identity of the slain ultras has been established as Bashir Ahmed Tantrey alias Sadiq, ‘section commander’ of Hizbul Mujahideen, Ghulam Mohd Tantrey alias Ishfaq, Mehboob alias Langda, also a ‘section commander’, Farooq Ahmed Suhail and Abdul Gaffar Boru. Bashir Ahmed Tantrey was wearing ranks of Colonel of Pakistan army. Four AK rifles, 10 magazines and 60 rounds of AK ammunition were recovered from the scene of encounter. Operation in Dulligam forests was going on when the reports last came in. In another search operation at village Dara Morha near Fazalabad in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district, army and police gunned down two foreign mercenaries this evening. Identity of the mercenaries hadn’t been established so far but both of them were believed to be the foreign mercenaries. Two AK- 56 rifles and three magazines were recovered from the scene of encounter, the sources said. Another terrorist Abu Sufiyan R-o Rawalpindi, Pakistan was shot dead by army at village Niali under jurisdiction of Manjakote police station in Rajouri district late last night. Abu Sufiyan was operative in Manjakote belt for the last one year. He had his affiliation with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit. One AK rifle was recovered from his possession. Meanwhile, the terrorists gunned down an old woman Alam Bi wife of Nar Hussain at her residence at Chandi Marh in Poonch district. Two terrorists shot dead the woman from point blank range leading to her instant death, the sources said, adding that the ultras escaped after the killing. No reasons could be ascertained immediately behind the killing. Terrorists torched two houses of Talib Hussain son of Mohd Hussain at Sheendara Top and Munir Hussain son of Wali Mohd at Marhot in Surankote tehsil last night. House inmates managed to come out before the fire spread and survived. A Government teacher Vijay Kumar, 35 R-o Seri, Nowshera was caught in firing by the army at village Mangiot in Rajouri and got injured. He has been hospitalised.